Iowan pleads not guilty in murder-for-hire case

Published On: Feb 19 2013 10:33:38 AM CST

CRESCO, Iowa (AP) -

An April trial is scheduled for a northern Iowa woman accused of hiring someone to kill her former husband.

Mason City television station KIMT reports that 32-year-old Malissa Farmer, of Cresco, has pleaded not guilty to the murder-for-hire charge and a charge of theft. Authorities say Farmer stole a gun that she gave to 35-year-old Daniel Padgett so he could kill Farmer's ex-husband.

Farmer's trial is scheduled to begin April 24.

Online court records don't list a trial date for Padgett. A Howard County jailer said Padgett remained in custody on Tuesday, pending $10,000 bail. Padgett's attorney didn't immediately return a call from The Associated Press.

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